Several civil society organisations in Mozambique have reportedly filed an injunction against mobile operators TMcel, Vodacom and Movitel over ongoing mobile internet shutdowns and blocked access to social media and messaging sites.
Last week, Internet monitoring website Netblocks confirmed that Meta-owned apps Facebook (including Messenger), Instagram and WhatsApp were blocked in Mozambique, following disruptions in mobile data services the previous week as protesters prepared to hit the streets over disputed election results.
Since then, according to Netblocks updates posted this week, the social media/messaging blockade has been expanded to include TikTok, YouTube and Telegram. Meanwhile, the government has imposed a series of mobile internet “curfews” in which mobile data connectivity has been cut off from evening until the following morning.
VPN provider Surfshark said in an email on Wednesday that it is seeing the same activity on its internet shutdown tracker. Both Netblocks and Surfshark confirmed that all blacklisted social media/messaging sites remain blocked, while the mobile internet curfews were still being imposed as of Wednesday.
According to a report on Tuesday from national news agency Agência de Informação de Moçambique (AIM), three civil society groups – the Centre for Public Integrity, the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, and the Civil Society Learning and Training Centre – have filed an injunction against TMcel, Vodacom and Movitel, demanding that they “immediately re-establish full access to the internet.”
In a statement, the groups said the internet shutdowns not only violate the country’s constitution that guarantees the right to information, as well as telecoms laws that require telcos to provide uninterrupted services, but also impact economic livelihoods, academic work and even attempts by people to contact family members at a time of social unrest.
“In a period of high tension, the restrictions imposed have worsened insecurity, by limiting access to truthful and up-to-date information on national and international events”, the organisations said in a statement.
The injunction asks the court to “ensure the immediate re-establishment of access to the Internet, and that the service providers refrain from any blocking that limits this essential right,” the AIM report said.
However, it’s unclear to what extent TMcel, Vodacom and Movite have a choice in the matter. The Mozambique government has not officially claimed responsibility for the social media blockades and internet curfews, but all three telcos have notified customers that mobile internet services are “temporarily restricted for reasons beyond our control”.
Mobile internet disruptions in Mozambique have been ongoing since October 25, a day after Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party was declared the winner of the presidential election. His opponent, Venâncio Mondlane – who fled to neighbouring South Africa after two of his aides were shot dead on October 19 – has been posting videos on Facebook urging supporters to protest the results.
The resulting protests have escalated into clashes with police. Human Rights Watch researcher Zenaida Machado told Reuters on Wednesday that she had verified 18 deaths so far but said that the tally is likely to be higher. A march on the capital Maputo is scheduled for Thursday.
Reuters also reports that South Africa has closed its main border crossing with Mozambique in Lebombo after receiving reports of vehicles being torched on the Mozambican side.
As we reported in August, restricting or completely shuttering internet access has become a “common tactic” used by government to supress dissent, according to the World Economic Forum. Digital rights watchdog Access Now logged 283 shutdowns in 39 countries in 2023, compared to 201 blackouts in 40 countries the previous year.
“Internet restrictions in Mozambique reflect a growing trend of governments limiting access during political unrest, impacting safety and essential information flow,” commented Surfshark VPN product manager Justas Pukys. “These shutdowns disrupt daily life, from business to education, and pose a significant threat to open internet and free speech in the region.”
